Vending machines represent a $40 billion a year industry in the United States, and current trends suggest that this figure is only going to grow. In our consumer-driven culture, vending machine manufacturers have developed innovative new ways of attracting business, while providing machine owners and operators with enhanced security features that protect their investments. As that technology continues to improve, the range of products that can viably be sold in vending machines also continues to grow, now including items such as disposable cameras, books, body care products and just about anything else that will fit in a coin-operated slot.

Vending Machines Can Now Be Used to Sell an Incredible Range of Products

One of the key technological advancements that’s led to the resurgence of the vending machine industry is temperature control. Not only do advanced cooling systems allow frozen foods such as ice cream to be sold from vending machines, less obviously temperature-sensitive items such as camera film can now also be securely stocked for longer periods of time. There’s also a flip side to the coin: it is now viable to vend items that need to be kept warm or hot, such as prepared food, coffee and tea.

In fact, coffee and tea vending machines represent one of the strongest growth sectors in the vending machine industry. These can make an excellent investment wherever large groups of people in need of a pick-me-up are likely to gather, such as cafeterias, university lecture halls, dormitories, and office buildings. A key factor in their ongoing success is the way these vending machines manage to anticipate and appeal to the everday needs of the people circulating nearby.

Vending Machine Marketing on a Whole New Level

Enticing customers to make vending machine purchases by stocking the machine with tried-and-true top-selling brands is an essential strategy. While the clearest examples of this have been demonstrated in the soft drink vending machine industry, dominated by the world’s two top soft drinks, Coke and Pepsi, the principle holds true no matter what type of products are being sold. Offering brand-name products enables vending machine owners to lure in business using the brand’s name and logo on the vending machine, a low-cost marketing tool when applied to products that already hold a substantial market share. Think Kodak for film, Johnson + Johnson for band-aids and Vaseline for skin care, for a few concrete examples.

Vending machine manufacturers themselves have begun to respond to customer demand for more designs oriented toward brand recognition. Advances in the manufacture of high-performance, sculptable plastics, stylized lighting and transparent materials allow vending machine operators to purchase a model that speaks to the preferences of their target market. Young people, for example, are known not only for brand loyalty but also for preferring sleeker, flashier displays that convey a contemporary, hip and “young” feel. Form should also match function: if you’re selling laundry soap, a classic, clean look can appeal to customers on a subliminal level.

In addition, vending machine operators are the latest in the bandwagon-jumpers who have realized they can translate nutrition trends into profits. Vending machines that offer products for people swept up in the low-carb craze, for example, are performing very well when placed in areas with high volumes of health-conscious people. With contemporary technology, the uses for vending machines is really limited only by the imagination of the people operating them, and significant profits await those who can discover a winning combination of marketing and product placement.

Designed to vend a variety of laundry products, including stain treatment products and single-use detergent portions, soap vending machines are a convenient amenity to add to shared laundry facilities. Typically found in dormitories, youth hostels and budget-range accommodations, soap vending machines can also be profitable at truck stops, in apartment complexes and at camping areas.

The basic soap vending machines manufactured for the commercial market will hold, at minimum, about 40 different items. Typically designed as wall-mount units, these vending machines usually contain a minimum of five columns, and feature easy-loading compartments utilizing a first-in, first-out system that automatically pushes older products to the front. Because the number of products a basic soap vending machine model is designed to carry is limited, most offer only a narrow pricing range for each individual product column. However, if you’re looking to diversify your product selection, you are better off shopping for a soap vending machine that allows for individual pricing. While these models are typically more expensive, they are frequently more profitable because the increase in available selection means a higher turnover of product volume.

Simpler units are lighter in weight and more compact than the elaborate soap vending machines. A no-frills, 40-item unit usually weighs between 75 and 90 pounds. It can conveniently be mounted on a wall, with little required in the way of additional support. Operators concerned about the security of their soap vending machines can also shop for a sturdy design; however, most commercially manufactured soap vending machines are constructed from durable heavy-duty steel, making them very difficult to tamper with.

Soap Vending Machines with Advanced Features

If you’re looking for a soap vending machine with advanced and enhanced features, manufacturers also offer debit and credit card operated models, as well as units with up to 24 product chambers or more. These units can be a boon to property owners and managers looking to increase profitability at high-traffic shared, public or commercial laundry facilities. Not only are these types of units designed to hold a wide variety of products (which will, in turn, attract more business), but the convenience they offer can also be used as justification for charging higher-than-normal prices for the products offered. Studies have shown that vending machines that accept credit or debit card payments can be significantly more profitable than their change-only counterparts. There are two simple reasons for this increased profitiabily: first, people are more likely to spend money if it doesn’t require them to part with physical cash; second, the convenience of paying with a card often wins business when customers aren’t carrying cash or exact change.

You can also split the difference between the basic and higher-end models available by purchasing mid-sized soap vending machines that offer some conveniences but still keep your up-front investment costs low. The best example of this type of machine is a unit that accepts both bills and coins, and makes change for customers who don’t have the exact amount of money required to make a purchase. More elaborate models like this come equipped with readers than can detect different bill denominations, useful if you want to offer products that cost a little more money. In addition, they make a good compromise between the small and easy-to-mount basic units that offer relatively few products and the large, space-consuming but more versatile high-end models.

Thanks to emerging technologies, a wider range of snacks, drinks and products are available through office vending machines than ever before. Not only are machines offering quick pick-me-ups, like soft drink and snack machines, more secure and compact than ever, but advances in temperature control now permit office buildings to include highly profitable coffee vending machines as part of a complete range of products.

Consider the following facts:

• Coffee is the world’s second-best selling commodity.
• Approximately 70 percent of the U.S. adult population drinks coffee.
• Half of all coffee drinkers consume three or more cups per day.
• Office vending machines that retail coffee are becoming ever less expensive.

It’s easy to see how a well-placed coffee machine could quickly rack up significant profits in an office environment, where workers frequently turn to caffeine to beat the fatigue that comes with the daily grind.

Specialized Office Vending Machines Can Create Large Income Streams

As people are becoming more and more health-conscious, vending machine operators are finding ways to parlay nutrition into profits. Recent statistical analysis showed, for example, that milk is far outperforming soft drinks in terms of market share growth, with an annual dollar-volume increase of about 350 percent better. Soft drinks and packaged cold beverages, such as juices and water, enjoyed an annual dollar volume increase of 7.3 percent over the duration of the study. This was by far the most significant percentage increase among the snack, ice cream and cold beverage categories–except, of course, for milk, which posted a whopping 25.6 percent increase in sales, in terms of dollar volume, during the same period.

Diversifying the range of snacks and items offered for sale in an office vending machine is also crucial to maximizing returns on your initial investment. While there will always be a place for chips, candy bars and nuts in snack vending machines, today’s larger units promote a larger selection of products without adding a lot to your start-up costs. Top-end office vending machine units designed solely to vend snacks typically permit at least 12, but as many as 24 different product slots. Owners can use the extra space to offer specialized products. In addition to the not-so-healthy but nonetheless popular snack items, vendors can include granola and cereal bars, crackers, dried fruit snacks and other low-calorie, low-fat alternatives. The result is an all-in-one vending machine that manages to strike an immediate appeal with a large segment of its target market.

What to Look For in an Office Vending Machine

Selecting the right office vending machine from the many available on the market can be a daunting task. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Machines that don’t require exact change tend to attract more sales.
2. Customers prefer the convenience of office vending machines that accept credit and debit card payments. They’re also willing to pay higher prices for products for the convenience.
3. Office vending machines that can read bill denominations are attractive to operators because those machines allow for more expensive product offerings.
4. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Combination-item machines are not only the most versatile, they also tend to attract the most business. Offer soft drinks, snacks and convenience products together in a single machine; purchase a specialty hot beverage unit that vends not only coffee but also tea, cappuccino and espresso.

By combining planning with some marketing savvy and due diligence, it’s not all that complicated to operate a profitable vending machine. Place fast-selling items in high-traffic areas, and you’ll soon be enjoying a positive cash flow.